He Can Handle It
by whoeverIamloves
Summary: Team Kakashi gets cornered. Kakashi's captured for interrogation, Naruto's a hostage. Sakura and Shikamaru, subbing for Sai, will have to rescue them. Rated T plus if it existed for violence in Chap 3. Look for sequel, The Nature of Interrogation.
1. Chapter 1

This idea has been rolling around in my head and wouldn't let me go to sleep until I typed it. You'll have to tell me whether it's something I should continue or if I should leave it as a one-shot. :)

* * *

"Fall back!"

Shikamaru nodded and obeyed. He knew what was coming, and his mouth tasted like cotton balls.

He was filling in for Sai (again) on a B-ranked mission with Team Kakashi, and it had just become S-ranked. Just now, out of nowhere more than sixty enemy shinobi had surrounded Kakashi, separating him from the rest of his team and making it clear that they intended to capture him alive.

_How the hell did so many of them sneak up on us like that?_

Clearly someone wanted the jonin pretty badly. Apparently, Naruto, Shikamaru, and Sakura weren't as infamous as the Copy Ninja yet, and so had been underestimated. Even so, there was no way in hell the four of them could hope to defeat the small army that had swooped in, and it was possible that even more were still hiding in the surrounding forest.

Naruto didn't seem to understand the order. After all, Shikamaru figured, running away went against everything the spunky blond believed in. He just didn't have it in him to back down, and that was going to be a problem. Already he was forming the seals for his Mass Kage Bushin no Jutsu. Shikamaru stopped him by placing a firm hand on his.

"Don't." A look of shock passed over Naruto's features, followed closely by a look of betrayal. Shikamaru had to calm him down, and fast. "We have to follow his orders, Naruto. He's never given you a bad order before, right?"

This seemed to calm him down a bit, and though he still looked confused as hell about why they were supposed to turn tail and run, Naruto clearly had a lot of faith in Kakashi.

Sakura didn't look any more pleased with the situation than any of them felt, but she was a lot more level-headed than her teammate.

"What happens now?"

Her question was directed more to herself and her teammates than to the several enemies that had broken from the main group to encircle the three, but one of them answered.

"Now, we take your commander with us and as long as you three play nice, we'll let you run back to whatever playground you came from."

Sakura looked peeved at the sneer in his voice, and Naruto bristled. Kakashi looked as deceptively nonchalant as ever, but his voice had a dangerous edge to it that only his team could recognize.

"I said Fall. Back." He had their attention now, and it was becoming clear to Naruto and Sakura that they were being used as hostages. Of course, Shikamaru had already realized that, and their best bet now was to feign uselessness. _My specialty._

"Shikamaru. You know what has to happen now."

The genius nodded, and laced his fingers behind his head. A meaningful look at Sakura and Naruto prompted them to follow his lead. He didn't even flinch when he felt a threatening presence behind him and felt the coolness of a kunai at his throat. He saw the other two tense at the development, but they seemed to be understanding the situation more fully now than they had been earlier, because neither made any sudden moves.

The enemy that had spoken earlier stepped toward Kakashi.

"If you would be so kind, Hatake." Kakashi rolled his eye at his arrogance as he put his hands together and offered them to be tied. The assailant shook his head and motioned for Kakashi to turn around, and said Copy Ninja obliged, sighing as if to say 'it was worth a shot.'

Kakashi's hands were tied quickly behind his back, and he was disarmed and blindfolded with startling efficiency.

Shikamaru could see a plethora of emotions in his teammates eyes as they stood by watching their sensei be taken captive without offering so much as a single punch as resistance. He could reassure them later that Kakashi wasn't being a coward; any false move he made would certainly get at least one of them killed and it was best to conserve his strength and chakra for whatever the captors had in store for him.

He winced. _I probably shouldn't tell them that he's probably going to be interrogated, because they know that often involves torture. I could tell them it's likely that he'll be used as leverage for something…probably not the best idea either. I'll just try to avoid telling them anything until we can rescue him._

The captors seemed to have other plans. The leader was satisfied that Kakashi wouldn't be able to escape, so he turned to the henchmen holding knives at the throats of the three other leaf shinobi. He quickly appraised each of the hostages, and though Shikamaru noticed the way his eyes lingered on Sakura's body for a couple of extra seconds, his gaze finally settled on Naruto and he gestured.

"Him."

"Me?!"

_They want a hostage to take with them as leverage against Kakashi. They know that if we were safe, he'd be pretty likely to try something…he thinks Naruto is the best choice. They have no idea how much that'll work in our favor since Naruto is easily the most hot-headed of us. If they can control him, that means I won't have to bother reasoning with him, and if they can't…then Sakura and I won't have nearly as many enemies to worry about._

Kakashi tensed against the ropes, and his jaw seemed to clench a little tighter under his mask as Naruto's captor escorted him over to the main group.

"You said you'd let them go."

The leader scoffed.

"I'll let the other two go, and once we're done with you, we'll have no more use for this brat either. I know you really didn't think we'd give up all of our hostages, did you? Just because we don't want to deal with three of them doesn't mean we're stupid."

Naruto was being bound and blindfolded in the same manner as Kakashi. Soon, the leader was satisfied and he shoved Naruto in the opposite direction from Sakura and Shikamaru, and the rest of the party followed. Once they were out of sight, the two ninjas left guarding Sakura and Shikamaru disappeared in a poof of dust.

Sakura stood there for a moment looking stunned. Then, she fell to one knee. Soon the other was also on the ground. Then she was doubled over, clenching two handfuls of grass as she started to weep.

Shikamaru walked over to her and knelt by her side, resting one hand tentatively on her shoulder. His actions seemed to have the desired effect, because she drew in a deep breath and let it back out. She looked up at him.

"And now we go after them."

Shikamaru looked in the direction they had gone and then back at the medic. He nodded.

"Now we go after them."

She stood up, and he could see that her breathing was still a little shaky. It was understandable; she had never seen a teammate captured before and been powerless to do anything about it. Neither had he, for that matter, but his nature was calmer than even Sakura's and that was saying something. He wouldn't lose his head, and she seemed to have regained control of herself as well.

"I saw some sound and some rain symbols on the forehead protectors. That most likely means that those two countries have formed an alliance, and since they specifically wanted Kakashi badly enough to send a small army to capture him, they're probably planning an attack on Konoha."

Shikamaru was impressed. He'd reached the same conclusion about five minutes ago, but she had still gotten there a lot faster than Ino would have. The genius nodded his agreement as he searched the trees for the signs Kakashi would have left. It didn't take long to find the first snapped tree branch.

"They went west. We're only a few hours away from the Rain Country's border. That's probably their destination. Let's go."

Defiance and determination glinted in Sakura's eyes as she nodded fiercely. Heaven help whoever threatened her friends, because that look in the kunoichi's eyes was deadly.

Seven hours later, Shikamaru and Sakura were crouched outside a window of a mostly underground compound just over the border into Rain Country. The window was narrow, and the two of them were well-covered by bushes that had carelessly been allowed to grow close to the window.

Sakura gasped softly. The sight before them was enough to cause anyone's stomach to lurch, and if the sight wasn't enough, then the smell certainly was.

Kakashi was tied to a chair, positioned so that the window viewers had a perfect profile view of his left side. He had been stripped to the waist except for the blindfold that was still tightly in place.

Sakura's eyes seemed to be focusing on his face. It was probably the first time she'd ever seen him without his mask, Shikamaru surmised. When her eyes did drop, she swallowed.

Kakashi's arms and the visible part of his torso were covered with a lot of scars, but that wasn't the gruesome part. He had clearly been beaten. His white hair was matted with dirt and blood. Cuts and bruises covered his body. Some looked quite serious. A couple of deeply purple areas were visible on his ribs, and there was a particularly bloody cut on his upper arm.

Sakura's hand involuntarily found Shikamaru's forearm and she gave a squeeze. She looked like she might be about to demand that they attack right this second before a voice from inside the room interrupted her.

"How many shinobi does Konoha have?"

Kakashi remained silent, and the interrogator walked closer to him.

"What kind of defenses are in place?"

Still, the jonin said nothing. If anything, his jaw seemed to clench tighter. _Has he sensed our presence watching him? _ Suddenly the sound of flesh connecting with flesh resounded. Sakura jumped and Shikamaru winced as they saw Kakashi take a sudden (and apparently hard) punch in the ribs. A stifled grunt accompanied the strain against the ropes, but no further reaction was given.

Sakura's grip tightened as the interrogator moved to leave less than eight inches between his face and Kakashi's.

"Tell me where Konoha is vulnerable."

By now Kakashi seemed to have recovered from the initial shock of the punch, and he took this opportunity to courteously spit in the man's face.

The interrogator stood up and his expression darkened. As he pulled a handkerchief from his pocket to wipe it off, Shikamaru was certain that the expelled blood did not go unnoticed by the medic beside him.

The back of the interrogator's fist connected soundly with the side of Kakashi's face. It caused his head to be thrown to the side facing the window, but the Copy Ninja made no sound that might give the interrogator any satisfaction. If anything, Shikamaru could make out a defiant smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. That was a good sign.

"We didn't think you would break easily, Hatake. But you should feel honored. You know things that no lower-level brat would know, and we WILL get it out of you. You should consider cooperating before I lose my patience and decide to threaten that blond kid."

Shikamaru knew it was a bluff, and Kakashi certainly knew that too. If they killed Naruto, they'd have nothing left to keep him from killing them. Sakura seemed to be too overwhelmed by the sight of her sensei tied to a chair to have heard that last part, and that was probably a good thing. She whispered without removing her eyes from Kakashi.

"We have to get him out of there. Now."

Shikamaru looked at her.

"We will, Sakura. Don't worry. But we have to get Naruto first."

For the first time since they arrived at the window, Sakura met his eyes. They were begging him not to make her leave her sensei like this, but the fact that she hadn't already charged in meant she knew deep down that they had to do some serious planning.

Another punch sounded and Sakura jumped. Her eyes closed, and Shikamaru saw a silent tear fall down her cheek. _This is killing her. She couldn't even look to see where he got hit that time._

"Sakura."

She swallowed before opening her eyes. They were brimming with more tears –undoubtedly a mixture of anger, hurt, and fear for Kakashi.

Shikamaru looked back at the jonin. He was smirking again. Good.

Sakura's gaze hesitantly followed his. _She's probably afraid of what she might see._ When she saw the smirk, her eyes widened a tiny bit. Shikamaru put his hand on her shoulder. Both watched for a moment as the interrogator continued to hit Kakashi, but the smirk remained in place the whole time, and his unwavering defiance seemed to give Sakura courage as Shikamaru leaned in to whisper to her.

"He can handle it."

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So...another chapter? Let me know what you think -constructive criticism is always appreciated!


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

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The enemy was cocky. No doubts about that.

Sakura and Shikamaru had been over the entire compound searching for weaknesses. There was only one entrance or exit, and it was guarded by three men. The pair had discovered two more windows overlooking cells like the one they'd seen Kakashi in, and the roof had a couple of guards walking around on top and a few lazily patrolling the area. The total number of guards they had seen was only eight.

Multiplying that number by three to account for the different shifts, that made at least twenty-four enemy shinobi, and in addition to that were the invisible number of guards stationed on the inside. Judging by the minimal presence on the exterior, though, it was probably safe to assume there were no more than six on duty at any given time inside the small compound. That brought the total to thirty, and then when the proportional number of officers was added to that number, there was probably a maximum of forty enemies on the premises.

Shikamaru shook his head in distaste. It was possible that there were many more on the inside, because the small army that had set upon them in the forest had to go somewhere. This compound was fairly small though, and it seemed to be a satellite base. It would be pretty stupid, after all, to keep one's entire force within that close of proximity to the Infamous Copy Ninja, who had been known out to take out multiple establishments this size in a single day's time.

At the moment, Sakura and Shikamaru were sitting back outside Kakashi's cell window. He was alone for the moment, but it was too dangerous to try to contact him. There could be any number of jutsu or barriers on the window and in the room.

Sakura had pointed out that such defense didn't seem likely, given the relaxed state the entire compound seemed to be in, but Shikamaru had reminded her how dangerous it was to underestimate someone, with themselves being a prime example at the moment. She had conceded.

Kakashi had not been untied from the chair. His hands remained bound behind his back and the blindfold was still in place.

Sakura's eyes kept scanning his half-exposed body. He had more bruises and cuts now than he had a few hours earlier.

_Shit. I can tell it's still killing her to see him like this, and we don't even know where Naruto is._

That was a major part of the reason they were waiting outside his window. Apparently the enemy had opted to store Naruto somewhere away from any windows, so their only hope was to wait until Kakashi's interrogator lost patience and brought Naruto into Kakashi's cell for some extra 'motivation'.

Shikamaru only hoped the interrogator was an impatient man.

Sakura shifted. She was fairly quiet about it, but the tiny scraping sound her boots made against the ground appeared to reach Kakashi's ears. He stiffened, tilting his face upward almost as if to look in the direction of the sound. If he hadn't been blindfolded.

Both of the younger ninjas saw the change in their team leader, and they looked at each other. There was a question in Sakura's eyes and Shikamaru nodded, holding a finger over his lips.

Earlier the two had discussed the best way to get his attention. Other than the obvious talking through the window, which had been ruled out because of the high possibility of hidden microphones, and visual communication, which had been ruled out because Kakashi was still bound and blindfolded, the only other option seemed to be sneaking in for a whispered conversation. It was risky but their plan would work better if they had his help, so they needed to find a way to talk to him.

She looked around for a small rock. It didn't take long to find one, and she tossed it softly through the window.

No barrier. Excellent.

Kakashi heard the small thud of the rock landing on the ground, and he appeared to relax. He leaned his head back.

Sakura quickly formed the seals for Henge-no-Jutsu, and with a poof she had transformed into a lizard.

Originally, she had wanted to use the form of a mouse. She didn't like reptiles. Shikamaru had pointed out that a mouse wouldn't be able to scurry up and down a wall, though, so she had given in.

Sakura scurried through the window and down the wall silently. Shikamaru watched when she got to the floor and appeared to look around at the room. Apparently she didn't see anything that might be hiding any cameras or concealed guards, and she released the henge.

Kakashi lifted his head. He seemed to recognize his former student's chakra signature. She quickly walked around to stand in front of him and lifted his blindfold. He blinked several times at the light, and Sakura was quickly inspecting the extent of his visible injuries.

"Yo." It was barely louder than a whisper. Sakura responded in a barely audible hiss.

"What about hidden microphones?"

"None. He's to arrogant for that, but there are two guards just outside that door."

"You look terrible."

"Thanks."

Her hands found their way to a particularly gruesome-looking bruise on his side.

"Sakura, don't heal anything. If they see the difference, they'll suspect something."

Sakura scoffed.

"Not likely. Security looks pretty flimsy here."

"Sakura…" He didn't finish the statement, but he didn't need to. She knew he was telling her to leave his wounds as they were. She sighed.

"Fine. But I at least want to find out the extent of your injuries so far. I won't heal anything visible. How's that?"

He gave a consenting grunt, and her hands began to glow green against his ribs.

"I assume you two have done the recon?"

"Yeah. They're undermanned, but the base is tight anyway. We're going to spend the afternoon writing as many explosive tags as we can."

"Where are they holding Naruto?"

"Somewhere away from the windows. You've got three broken ribs so far and some damage to some of your internal organs. I'm at least going to stop the internal bleeding."

"So what's the plan?"

"Without knowing Naruto's location, Shikamaru thinks the best option is to wait for the interrogator to bring him here."

"Hm." For a second, the glow around her hands intensified. Kakashi grunted. "Damn, Sakura! What the hell was that?"

"Nothing visible." Kakashi rolled his eyes, and Shikamaru chuckled. Kakashi looked toward the window, squinting against the light. Shikamaru waved a greeting, and the captive jonin nodded. Sakura continued talking while she healed her sensei's internal injuries. "Is there a way you could get them to bring Naruto in sooner?"

"Possibly. This guy seems pretty impatient." He looked down at Sakura's hands, which were still glowing against his bare abdomen. "How am I doing?"

"You'll live, provided we get you out of here in less than a week."

"Hm. I assume you two will be watching?"

Sakura swallowed and nodded.

"Sakura, look at me."

She complied.

"I'm fine."

Sakura nodded again and dropped her hands.

"I've stopped all the bleeding. Are you sure I can't heal just a little of the obvious ones?"

"I'm sure. I've dealt with worse."

"Has anyone been in here other than the main interrogator?"

"No."

"We'll move as soon as they bring in Naruto. Shikamaru thinks it's too dangerous to try to infiltrate the base without knowing more about it, and there's only so much we can learn from the outside."

"He's right. I'll see what I can do to speed things up."

For a few minutes, the room was silent as Kakashi watched Sakura study his abused body. Clearly she didn't want to leave him like that, and he couldn't say he blamed her. He'd prefer to be outside right about now.

Finally, he spoke softly to her.

"You should go. This guy doesn't seem to have any set schedule for coming and going."

"…hai."

She started to form the seals for the henge, but Kakashi interrupted her.

"Sakura."

She paused and looked at him with damp eyes.

"The blindfold."

She reached up to his forehead and forced herself to tug the piece of fabric back into place.

"And Sakura…"

"Hm?"

"I'll be fine. I promise."

Shikamaru saw her swallow as she fought for composure.

"…hai," she whispered.

"Go."

Without another word, Sakura formed the seal and took the appearance of a lizard. She quickly scurried back across the floor to the wall, then up toward the window and back out into the sunlight to wait.

* * *

After three hours of writing as many exploding tags as possible and two more intermittent hours of watching torture mixed with smart-ass witty banter, Kakashi seemed to have succeeded in pissing off the interrogator. He had made it clear that if the Copy Ninja didn't start sharing information soon, the 'blond brat' was going to be experiencing some unpleasant sensations, to say the least.

Kakashi had made it clear that he doubted the legitimacy of the threat, and had allowed the interrogator to think it was his own idea to bring Naruto in and carry out the threats in Kakashi's presence.

Shikamaru heard the sound of the door being unlocked. All three ninjas perked up at the sound. The interrogator entered first, followed closely by two guards who were manhandling a bound and blindfolded Naruto.

That had been faster than anticipated.

Shikamaru smirked as he glanced at Sakura. Relief was written all over her face.

_Showtime._

Both free ninjas drew shiruken and waited for the two extra guards to finish tying Naruto to the additional chair they had brought in. Finally, they seemed satisfied that he was secure, and they left the room.

As soon as they heard the bolt click back into place, four handfuls of shiruken flew through the window. They zinged through the ropes before the interrogator had time to grasp what was happening, and in an instant, Kakashi had ripped off his blindfold and pinned the interrogator flat on his back. The force of the tackle had knocked the breath out of the man, so he wouldn't be able to call for help for several seconds.

In the next instant, Sakura and Shikamaru were inside the cell.

"Gag him and tie him to the chair."

Sakura was more than happy to follow Kakashi's order. She quickly picked up the blindfold from where it had fallen and wrapped it tightly around the man's mouth and head. Once that was done, Shikamaru and Naruto hauled him off the floor and deposited him in the chair Kakashi had been sitting in, and Sakura tied the ropes tighter than necessary to his hands, feet, and torso while the boys held him in place.

Kakashi looked around and made his way to the cot in the room, where he collapsed in an exhausted pile.

"I'll deal with him in a few minutes. We have plenty of time."

Sakura was sitting on the edge of the cot immediately. She gently pushed their team leader to lie down on his back, and she wasn't taking no for an answer anymore, now that they had the upper hand and could afford the time.

Shikamaru turned to Naruto.

"We need the guards to think you're in pain while Sakura's taking care of him. Make some noise, and give them a good show."

Naruto grinned almost…evilly.

_Now _that's_ disconcerting. _

Then the boisterous ninja yelped, and he followed it with a mixture of loud grunts and groans.

_Perfect. Now…I can relax for a while._

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So...opinions? Please?

I have chapter three written, and maybe part of four. I'm not sure yet. I have some more reviewing to do before it's ready to post, but I'm pretty excited with where this story is heading. More reviews will help it get there faster. :)

PS- the next chapter's going to be rather violent. I may even change the rating to M for it.


	3. Chapter 3

Here's chapter three! I was going to wait like a whole week to actually post it, but Kakashi was taunting me. He wanted out of that place.

This chapter is pretty violent. I almost changed the rating to M for it, but I think it's ok. Still, if you have a weak stomach, proceed cautiously.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

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All had been going smoothly for the past thirty minutes. The interrogator hadn't been able to call for help, though every so often he would mumble something against the cloth in his mouth and test the strength of the ropes holding him to the chair.

Naruto was maintaining his hurt noises, and Kakashi had fallen asleep for a brief nap while Sakura was healing some of his more severe wounds. He still looked terrible, but that's to be expected after almost a full twenty-four hours of intermittent torture. Shikamaru was content to sit against the wall and watch the interrogator squirm.

Unfortunately, the genius's powers of reasoning wouldn't allow him to just sit there for long. Eventually, the guards outside the door were going to figure out that something was wrong, and then all hell would break loose. He had no desire to fight every ninja in the compound.

"Oi. Naruto."

"Yeah?"

"We need to do something about those guards."

"Why? Kakashi-sensei said we have plenty of time."

"True. As troublesome as it is, though, our risk is growing the longer we just sit here and wait. How's your chakra level?"

Naruto scowled.

"Fine. I've been bored out of my mind! All they let me do was walk around a tiny cell with nothing at all to do."

"Perfect. I'll bring the guards in with my Kage Mane Jutsu, and you can take them out."

Naruto nodded, apparently excited to be doing something useful.

Shikamaru didn't get up as he formed the hand seals for his shadow control technique, and soon the shadow snaked across the floor and out under the door. A moment later, Shikamaru stood up and went through the motions of sliding the deadbolt out of the door, opening it, and stepping inside.

The shocked expressions on the guards' faces were priceless as their bodies entered the room without their consent. They didn't have time to call out an alarm though, because suddenly each guard was flanked by two Narutos beating the living crap out of them.

Kakashi had always been a light sleeper, and no amount of damage to his body was going to change that. Stiffly and apparently against Sakura's wishes, he sat up on the cot and rubbed the back of his neck.

For a moment, Shikamaru wasn't sure whether he was going to reprimand him for acting without an order or congratulate him for doing what needed to be done. As Kakashi stood up he didn't say anything, but he nodded in approval.

_That answers that._

By now, the guards were unconscious and Naruto was tying them up and gagging them. Once that was done, he stacked them by the wall and released the three shadow clones. Kakashi quickly appraised the situation before he spoke.

"Sakura. Naruto. You two wait outside. Shikamaru, with me. Do you have a scroll and a pencil?" Though Kakashi was still shirtless and maskless, he had fallen back into his normal routine as the leader of the team.

Naruto was clearly trying not to stare at his sensei's exposed face. Sakura was doing a better job at pretending nothing was out of the ordinary about the way Kakashi was –or rather, _wasn't_- dressed, but at least the blond managed to keep a lid on it.

Shikamaru nodded in response and pulled the objects from his vest pockets. Sakura and Naruto left the cell, using Henge No Jutsu to look like the two incapacitated guards.

"You two." Sakura and Naruto looked at their shirtless sensei. "Do not, under any circumstances, interrupt. Is that understood?"

Both nodded and continued their exit. After the door had clicked back into place, Kakashi's whole demeanor changed. He spoke to Shikamaru in a low voice.

"I want you to write down everything he tells us."

For the first time since he'd been tied to the chair in Kakashi's place, the man in question spoke.

"I won't tell you a damn thing!"

A shiver worked its way up Shikamaru's spine in response to the sinister smirk that planted itself on the older ninja's revealed face. No one said anything for a moment as Kakashi walked around to stand several feet in front of the former interrogator. His eyes rested on the captive as he spoke coolly to Shikamaru.

"Tell him why I chose you to stay instead of either of the other two."

"I'm guessing it's because they…don't have the stomach for whatever's about to happen." _But I'm not sure I do, either._

Kakashi nodded, still smirking. Some of the color drained from the captive's face, but his pride hadn't broken yet. He continued to spew insults.

"Ha! I knew you were just babysitting those brats! You've disappointed your reputation, Hatake. Going soft like that? Sending those kids out so you can play good guy bad guy with the only one left, and he's probably not even looking!"

Kakashi laughed darkly, and Shikamaru's skin crawled at the sound. Hate-filled red and black eyes did nothing to ease the knot forming in the pit of his stomach.

"There is no good guy here. There's only me." He paused. "Shikamaru, how strong is your stomach?"

Shikamaru considered his answer nervously. He could handle a good deal of violence, but…being unfamiliar with Kakashi's particular interrogation style, he wasn't sure he wanted to claim total immunity.

"Stronger than theirs," he nodded toward the door. Kakashi raised an eyebrow, and Shikamaru added, "but I'm no Ibiki, if that's what you're asking."

"Hm."

Kakashi seemed satisfied with the answer. He nodded and turned back to the captive. He didn't say anything for several seconds as he just stood there calmly, and the former interrogator started to sweat.

"I told you, I'm not gonna give you any information! I've been through enough simulations to be able to handle anything you throw at me!"

"Keep telling yourself that." Kakashi's voice was low and dangerous.

_I'm glad I'm on his team, and not his enemy's. _

"It's true! You don't have the strength right now to hurt me enough to make me talk. I'm the best damn interrogator in Rain!"

Kakashi rolled his eyes.

"I just lost all respect for your country." The captive glowered at him, and he nodded toward the door. "You remember Sakura." The man's glance toward the door acknowledged that he did, but had no idea what that could have to do with anything. "Sakura has enough strength in her little finger to break you in half. The fact that I sent her out should tell you that I have something…much…_different_ in store for you."

More color drained from the captive's face, and Shikamaru swallowed. Whatever was about to happen was not going to be pretty.

"I am actually a little worried, though. Clearly, you're an amateur. What's to stop you from learning my tricks?" He tilted his head to the side and thought for a moment. "I suppose I could kill you when it's over. That seems like a pretty good plan…unless you'd like to tell me all about your operation here before I have to show you any tricks?"

Somehow, the man had finally gotten it through his thick skull that anything he said would only hurt him from now on. Apparently, he didn't plan to say anything else.

Kakashi nodded in understanding.

"Suit yourself. Shikamaru, toss me a kunai."

Shikamaru wiped all emotion from his face and obeyed, and Kakashi inspected the edge of the weapon for sharpness.

"I knew this operation of yours was second-rate as soon as they tied me up in the forest. No shinobi worthy of the title should _ever_ let half a team go free, no matter how young they seem. Who gives the orders?"

The man maintained his stony silence, but there was hatred in his eyes. Kakashi continued.

"I also knew you were an amateur the first time you stepped into this room. Do you know how?"

No response.

"Because you left me blindfolded. Seeing what's coming makes the anticipation sharper. …How about a demonstration?"

Kakashi walked forward so that he was standing directly in front of the man. Shikamaru could see the captive gathering saliva in his mouth, no doubt in preparation to spit in his face as Kakashi had done when the roles were reversed, but Kakashi saw it coming. A swift backhand caused the man's unhygienic insult to miss, landing pathetically in the dirt.

Kakashi pressed the edge of the knife against the taut skin of the man's throat. The man didn't turn his head back to the front, and after a few seconds of silence, blood began to leak out from under it. The captive spoke in a raspy, mocking voice.

"You won't kill me. Not without the information you want."

The hand with the kunai dropped to Kakashi's side.

"Congratulations. At least you're smarter than some of my former…informants."

Now the man could turn his head back to look at the white-haired ninja, and he did. He found Kakashi regarding him with an unnervingly relaxed expression.

"But that won't stop me from _nearly_ killing you. All you have to be able to do is talk."

Shikamaru's stomach lurched at the deadly tone in Kakashi's voice and the matching glint in his eyes. This man before him…could it really be the same Kakashi that was always reading those cheesy romance novels and giving that goofy masked grin? No wonder he'd sent Sakura and Naruto to wait outside.

_They'd shit themselves if they saw him like this!_

Kakashi gripped the man's wrist harshly, spreading his fingers out and holding the kunai over the smallest knuckle of his pinky. The captive's eyes were wide with fear and locked on the kunai.

"When is the attack on Konoha?"

There was no response. Kakashi sighed dramatically.

"I don't make idle threats. Now, answer the question. When is the attack on Konoha?"

The man was proving to have more fortitude than they had originally thought.

A sickening crack followed a flick of Kakashi's wrist, and it was accompanied by blood spurting from the place where the tip of the man's little finger used to be. The man screamed and Kakashi moved the knife to the next knuckle.

"How many shinobi do you have?"

Another silence stretched, and another chunk of finger fell to the floor with a crack and a scream. The small puddle of blood started to expand faster. The kunai moved to the next finger.

"Where will the attack come from?"

Shikamaru had to hand it to this captive. He seemed to have a very high tolerance for pain, even if he was breathing extremely hard.

Another fingertip fell to the floor. Another scream followed, along with more blood.

The man seemed like he was about to pass out from pain or blood loss- Shikamaru couldn't tell which, but the man would be useless if he was allowed to lose consciousness. Kakashi also noticed, and he released the man's wrist.

_Apparently it was pain. Good to know._

The captive struggled to catch his breath, and then he panted out some words.

"You can't…I…there's not enough…"

Shikamaru was jotting down all he said, but it wasn't making much sense yet. Kakashi raised his eyebrows in curious nonchalance.

"I've…been through…enough training. No amount of pain…will make me tell…what you want to know." Somehow, there was still an arrogant glint in the man's eyes.

The tension in the small cell was palpable. Kakashi scowled at the man as he contemplated whether the man was likely to be telling the truth, and the man couldn't seem to decide whether to hold a staring match with Kakashi or with the floor. After several incredibly tense seconds, Kakashi spoke.

"I see." He crossed his arms casually. "Unfortunately, I don't have time today for my normal level of…_finesse_ with an interrogation. You say pain isn't enough? So be it." He looked up. "Shikamaru, turn around. Don't peek."

Shikamaru was acquainted with fear. Ino was afraid of tight spaces, Sakura didn't like snakes, and Chouji feared an empty pantry. Shikamaru himself had never really had much of a phobia though, until now. The complete calm in the Copy Ninja's voice mixed with the extreme danger in his mismatched eyes was enough to make Shikamaru's stomach lurch and his heart pound.

He could see the captive sweating. _If I was him…I think I might spill the beans right about now. I don't know if I'll ever be able to look at Kakashi-sensei the same again._

Shikamaru shakily obeyed, and he heard Kakashi moving slowly toward the chair. His stride didn't even break when his boot splashed in the puddle of fresh blood. It sounded like he was crouching down right in front of it, and he spoke to the captive in a low voice.

"You're an arrogant son of a bitch, I'll give you that. Who the hell leaves their compound with so few guards? …but I've gotta hand it to you, anyway. A lot of people would have cracked by now."

Shikamaru winced, wondering if he was one of those people.

"I'll give you another chance before I completely destroy you. Tell me about the impending attack on Konoha and this little operation you've got set up here, and I won't tell anyone that you talked."

The man said nothing. Perhaps he had resigned himself to whatever terrible death the infamous Copy Ninja had in store for him?

After an eternity of seconds, Kakashi finally laughed darkly.

"Don't say I didn't offer."

Shikamaru could hear his own heart thrumming fast and hard in his ears. It was the only sound he could hear in the room, and he could only imagine the Sharingan beginning to swirl, inches from the captive's face.

This assumption soon proved correct, because the man screamed. Loudly. Painfully. Shikamaru's hand found itself covering his own mouth in an attempt to keep from getting sick. Idly, he wondered if the walls were soundproof.

As the sounds of the silent torture continued, some disturbing thoughts forced themselves into the younger ninja's consciousness. _Would I be able to stand up under torture? It's not really something anyone talks about very much. Maybe…when all this is over…as intimidating as the idea is, I need to know my limit. I should talk to Kakashi-sensei about…this._

A particularly harsh scream interrupted his thoughts, and as soon as it subsided, a thought even more disturbing replaced it.

_What if…did Asuma…could he have ever been like this? The way Kakashi is now…he's completely different than normal, but that's probably part of being one of Konoha's elite…? But what if it's this way with all the jonin?! That would mean…_

Shikamaru shook his head before his thoughts carried him too far away. It wouldn't do to get completely preoccupied while he was supposed to be listening for anything coherent from the captive's mouth. He pushed the thoughts aside for later contemplation and perhaps discussion with the white-haired interrogator.

After what couldn't have been more than twenty seconds of intermittent screaming, panting, and silence, but seemed more like twenty hours, the captive spoke in a broken voice. It held the tone of a man who had been completely shattered and humiliated and wanted nothing more than to die.

"Wh-what…do you…want to know?"

* * *

Twenty minutes and two full scrolls later, Shikamaru exited the cell followed closely by Kakashi. The two 'guards' guarding the door looked at the pair expectantly, ignoring the collection of real guards piled against the opposite wall.

Kakashi nodded once to signal success, with his lips pressed into a thin, grim line. The guard on the left was carefully studying Shikamaru's expression.

"Shikamaru, are you alright? You look like you're about to be sick."

Sakura released her henge and Naruto did the same. The medic reached out to touch Shikamaru's face, checking for any fever. He didn't dodge, but he shook his head.

"I'm…fine."

Kakashi was back to his normal relaxed self, but he regarded the younger man carefully for a fleeting moment.

_Great. He probably thinks I can't handle what just happened…maybe he's right, but at least I haven't thrown up yet. Interrogation techniques are something I'm going to need to learn eventually, though, so it won't do any good to let him think I'm that much of a pansy._

Naruto broke the tense silence.

"We heard a lot of screaming."

So the walls weren't soundproof then. That would have the whole compound coming down on them soon, if anyone had recognized the voice. _Shit_.

Kakashi gracefully sidestepped Naruto's implied question.

"We found out what we needed to know. Are the explosives in place?"

"Hai."

"Good." He turned to Sakura. "Are these all the guards?"

"That's all we could find in the halls. There's six there, and thirty more in the barracks. We put extra explosives outside those walls."

Kakashi nodded in approval, and Shikamaru finally found his voice.

"We should get going. We don't know what kind of shift schedule the guards are on."

Kakashi gave a curt, business-like nod that signaled he wasn't wasting any time. He crossed the hallway to the pile of guards, stripping them of their weapons and supplies. He found the one that seemed to be the closest to himself in size and build, and he confiscated his flack vest. He quickly searched it for traps and to see what it held in the pockets, then pulled it on and zipped it up. He didn't bother finding anything to replace the mask, and Shikamaru assumed it was because he had more important things on his mind.

_Like blowing this base to hell._

As soon as Kakashi was satisfied, he turned back to face his team.

"Let's move out."

They all set off running.

Fifteen minutes later, a giant explosion erupted and a new crater was formed where an enemy satellite base had been. Four leaf shinobi moved in to verify the destruction and search for any unlucky stragglers.

None of the enemies would survive to report the destruction.

* * *

Okay. There's one more chapter in this fic, and I'll go ahead and tell you that it's going to be more of a lead-in to the sequel I've already started writing. I'll include a snippet or a link or something like that at the end of the next chapter.

So what do you think? :)


	4. Chapter 4

I think this story might be my record for being finished the fastest, not counting one-shots. :) Like I said at the end of the last chapter, this is more of an epilogue or lead-in to the sequel, which I'm going to include a snippet of at the end.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Disclaimer 2: **I am NOT an expert on the topic of torture and I do NOT condone or support human rights violations.** I just think it's a topic that fits in the Naruto Universe and as such, needs to be explored.

* * *

It was dark outside now, and Team Kakashi was relaxing in camp. Sakura was stretched out on a grassy patch, having fallen asleep after using most of her energy to heal the majority of Kakashi's remaining injuries. Naruto had wandered off to a nearby river to fish and practice his water walking skills out of boredom, and Kakashi was sharpening the weapons he'd taken from the incapacitated guards earlier. Shikamaru was smoking and staring blankly into the fire. He could feel the Copy Ninja's gaze flick over to him occasionally, and finally, Kakashi broke the silence.

"You seem distracted."

"You're one to talk."

Kakashi grinned to himself. Normally, it would have been covered by the mask, and Shikamaru saw the grin disappear as soon as the bare-faced man appeared to realize that his expressions were visible.

_I guess he really does feel odd without it. _

After a short pause, he spoke again.

"I knew I could count on you and Sakura."

"Hm."

The silence stretched for a few moments. The only sounds were the crickets, the crackling fire, and the scrape of metal against stone.

"We gained a lot of valuable information today."

"Two full scrolls. That should double what we know about the Hidden Village of Rain, right?"

"At least."

Shikamaru sighed and the smoke blew from his mouth and nose toward the fire. He knew what Kakashi was getting at, but it was making him miss Asuma. Normally, he would discuss this type of thing over a game of Shogi with his mentor.

_At least Kakashi isn't pretending it didn't happen, and I guess he was one of Asuma's closest friends. I guess I should be grateful that he's willing to be there since Asuma can't anymore…_

Kakashi interrupted his thoughts with a heavy sigh.

"I'm sorry you had to witness that today."

Shikamaru's head jerked up. _That was more direct than I expected him to be. I guess…hmm. I might as well bite the bullet. Now seems like as good a time as any, and he seems willing to talk._

"I'm not."

"No?"

The genius shook his head, poking the fire with a handy stick.

"No. It's something I'll probably have to deal with someday anyway, and the sooner I start learning it, the better."

Kakashi raised an eyebrow. Even without the mask, the rest of his face was still unreadable.

"I see."

Silence ensued for several moments. Shikamaru blew a smoke ring.

"And just what did you learn today?"

Shikamaru contemplated which answer he should give. He could feel Kakashi watching him from the corner of his eye as the older ninja continued sharpening the weapon in his hands. Finally, he spoke in a quiet voice.

"That I don't think I have what it takes to be able to resist…hostile interrogation."

He heard the older ninja chuckle in the firelight, but there was no humor in it. A reminiscent shiver worked its way down Shikamaru's spine.

"I really scared the shit out of you back there, didn't I?"

It was more a statement than a question, and the younger of the two responded by pushing a burning log with the stick, causing the log to fall and send hundreds of tiny sparks upwards into the night sky.

"You're right. It is something you'll have to deal with someday. I chose you to stay because I don't think Sakura or Naruto will ever be ready."

Shikamaru looked at him curiously. Did he really think so little of his own team?

"Don't get me wrong. They're both excellent shinobi, and incredibly powerful. But they're both too compassionate for that kind of work. Between Naruto's habit of making friends with everyone and his hot temper, he'd either lose control of the situation or he'd lose his nerve. And Sakura…well, she's definitely found her niche in medicine. She works best when she's putting people back together, not trying to break their spirit."

Shikamaru noticed a tiny, proud smirk.

"Inanimate objects, on the other hand…they'd be in trouble if Sakura wanted something from them."

_He has a point about those two. I guess he's right._

"You, though…" Shikamaru hid his curiosity about what Kakashi might be about to say. "I see a lot of Asuma in you." Kakashi now had his full attention. "You've got a lot of heart, just like him. But when it comes down to what has to be done…you proved today that you've got what it takes. He'd be proud of you."

Kakashi let his words sink in. After several moments, Shikamaru had to ask the question that had been plaguing him all day. His voice was barely audible and he wasn't really sure how to voice his question, but he had to try.

"Did Asuma…was he ever…like today?"

"You're wondering if Asuma ever had to interrogate anyone like I did today?"

Shikamaru nodded mutely. He poked the fire, twiddling his lit cigarette between his fingers.

"He did tell me about one time. He said it was bothering him."

Stone scraped metal. The fire shifted.

"He said it was on a solo assassination mission. The target wasn't where he should have been, and Asuma had to get the information from one of the servants."

"…did he say how he did it?"

"He did. Apparently that particular servant was pretty damn loyal. After several hours of getting nowhere, Asuma finally had to bring in the man's family and threaten their lives."

Shikamaru knew his eyes betrayed his shock at imagining his mentor being so ruthless, because Kakashi just looked at him for a second before continuing his explanation.

"It was a bluff. He never would have actually been able to kill the wife or the little girl, but fortunately the servant wasn't willing to risk it. He gave up his boss."

Shikamaru nodded, relieved.

"He told me that story right after he was assigned to you, Ino, and Chouji. He said he couldn't get the memory out of his head because the little girl looked a lot like the girl in his new genin team. Blue eyes, blonde hair, pretty. Every time he looked at Ino, he said, he could still see terrified, crying blue eyes looking up at him with his kunai at her throat."

Shikamaru had never pictured Kakashi as having a softer side, but…here in the firelight after a deadly mission, it was somehow comforting just to be able to sit and talk to the white-haired jonin –not so much as sensei and student, but as comrades.

"Why did he tell you? Did he want advice, or just to talk?"

At that, Kakashi smiled sadly.

"He wanted me to help him get rid of the memory."

"…the Sharingan?"

Kakashi nodded.

"…and did you do what he asked?"

"Yeah, I did."

Shikamaru took a long drag on his cigarette.

"I didn't know that was even possible."

"It's not an ability I like to advertise. I tried to talk him out of it, but…he said he wouldn't be able to look at you three, especially Ino, if I didn't help him out. I didn't have the heart to refuse."

Another silence stretched out, but this one was more comfortable. After a moment, Shikamaru broke it.

"Was it training or experience?"

"Hm?"

"Your…techniques today. Did you go through training for that, or…?"

"Ah. Some of both." Shikamaru waited for him to continue. "Back during the war, all jonin were required to attend seminars with Ibiki in case we found ourselves in a position needing information."

"So…the training was offense only?"

"Mostly. He went over a few resistance techniques, but nothing can really prepare you except the real thing. Or a damn good simulation, but even then..."

"…so the rest was first-hand experience."

Kakashi nodded in the firelight.

"I can't help but notice, though…you still have all your fingers."

Kakashi examined his hand as if to check the accuracy of that statement. After a moment, he decided to answer the implied question.

"In ANBU, I had a team that got captured and put into group interrogation. One of my men…he broke when they got to another operative's ring finger."

"What happened?"

"We escaped that night, and he intentionally got himself killed in the process. Why are you asking all this?"

Shikamaru had known that question would surface eventually. He blew smoke at the fire. He wasn't used to being so open with anyone but Asuma.

"I guess because it scares me. I don't think I could be as…intimidating as you were today, and it scares me to not know my own breaking point."

"I see."

For a few seconds, neither said anything.

"I have an advantage over most interrogators, you know."

"The Sharingan."

"Right. It would have taken me probably two days to break that guy today if I hadn't had this eye. Or more extreme methods."

"…remind me never to piss you off."

Kakashi laughed.

"I don't think you have to worry about that." He paused in sharpening the kunai in his hand.

"If you want, I can give you some tips. Maybe after we get these scrolls back to the Hokage, I could even run through a couple of simulations with you if you're that worried about it."

Shikamaru's stomach tightened. What he had seen earlier that day had terrified him, but he when push came to shove, he did trust the man sitting across the fire from him. And they had already established that eventually he would need the experience…

"I'd appreciate it."

"No problem. What do you say we start with the basics now?"

Shikamaru nodded and flicked the butt of his cigarette into the fire. _I can handle basics, and it's as good a time as any._

Kakashi inspected his kunai. It appeared to pass his scrutiny, and he slipped it into his pouch and leaned back against a tree.

"First rule: Confidence."

"Seems like a given."

"There's a particular kind of confidence. You and Sakura saw the way that guy approached me. What was the difference between his style and mine?"

"Other than the fact that you used a kunai and a bloodline limit?"

Kakashi smirked. That seemed to be a 'yes'.

"Well…he seemed more arrogant, whereas you seemed more pissed off. He also seemed a little more…single-minded."

"Care to elaborate a little?"

"He thought he could break you with one simple aspect of violence, and he never tried any others. But you…when you saw one tactic wasn't working, you switched to something else."

"Ah. Good point. That's the next thing. You have to get creative sometimes."

"…he really was an amateur, wasn't he?"

"Unfortunately for him. He didn't understand that it takes more than bullying to break someone's will. You have to completely terrify them, and a fist is rarely enough."

"What else?"

"A strong sense of perception. If you can't read the informant, you're not going to get anywhere."

"Unfortunately, I seem to have a knack for that." Kakashi looked at him quizzically, and he explained. "Sometimes I wish I couldn't tell what Ino was thinking. What else?"

"Well…other than confidence, creativity, and perceptiveness, you need a strong stomach."

"…I noticed."

"If they see any remorse, any softness whatsoever, they'll interpret it as weakness and you've doubled the time it will take to break them."

"That's where Sakura and Naruto would fail, isn't it?"

Kakashi nodded.

"They don't have the backbone for torture."

Shikamaru winced at the word, and it didn't escape Kakashi's observation.

"There's no use sugar-coating it. It is what it is."

Shikamaru nodded. _How is it that I actually asked for training on torture?_

Kakashi let out a slow breath.

"It's a harsh reality of being a ninja. Someone has to do it. Some people aren't cut out for this part of it, so those of us who are…we can't afford to be squeamish about it. Not when we need information in order to save lives."

"…I know."

"Doesn't make it any easier to wrap your head around, does it?"

"Not really." There was a pause. "When you asked me how strong my stomach was…"

"Hm?"

"Did you hold back because of my answer?"

Kakashi didn't say anything for a moment, and when he did, his voice was quieter than it had been a moment ago.

"Some."

"…what would you have done if I hadn't been there?"

"You really don't want to know the answer to that."

"…What if I do want to know?"

The white-haired jonin sighed tiredly.

"I don't want this to sound condescending, but you're not ready to hear about that. I told you I'd help you with interrogation tactics and I will. But you're going to have to trust me to know what I'm talking about."

Kakashi stood up. Shikamaru briefly wondered if he was about to suggest a demonstration or something, but he dismissed the idea and managed to hide the way his whole body instinctively tensed. He just nodded. _What could be so extreme? Or maybe…he just doesn't want to talk about it tonight? Maybe it's just something awkward he didn't want to do…_

"Get some sleep. Those are the basics. Tomorrow if we get a chance, I'll go over some tactics with you."

Shikamaru nodded and stretched out on his back, linking his fingers behind his head. He was nothing if not patient, and he'd had just about enough trouble for one day.

"What's the plan for watches?"

"I'll take first. Since Naruto's still up, he can have second. You take third, and Sakura can take the last."

Shikamaru nodded and closed his eyes.

_I wonder if I'll manage to actually get any sleep tonight._

* * *

THE END

* * *

And now, a preview excerpt from Chapter 1 of the sequel, "The Nature of Interrogation".

* * *

The small room wasn't especially well-lit, but there was a single light fixture in the middle of the ceiling that provided enough light to see the dirt floor and brick walls clearly. There were two straight-backed wood chairs sitting in the middle of the room.

Kakashi took a seat in one of them and Shikamaru followed the jonin's lead by sitting in the other.

"What are these rooms down here used for, anyway?"

"They're basically extra. Storage, training, make-shift offices, hiding from the hokage…whatever they're needed for."

"Ah."

Kakashi didn't waste any more time getting to the point. He leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees.

"So we went over the basic ideas the other night, but we never got a chance to talk tactics. Any particular place you can think of that you want to start?"

"Not really."

"Alright. Well…let's see. The first, most basic rule of 'hostile interrogation' is this:" he paused to look at Shikamaru meaningfully with his single visible eye. "Anything Goes. That can mean physical pain, psychological, illusions, or anything else you can think of."

Shikamaru swallowed. _What in the HELL have I gotten myself into?_

* * *

So there you have it. The end of one fic, and a sample of another. Before you go read the new one, though, (which is already posted and accessible) please leave me a review about this one! I really want to know what you think.

* * *


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